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Should I use nails or screws?
Nails are often preferred for structural joining, including framing walls, because they are more flexible under pressure, whereas screws can snap. Nails are also called upon when securing plywood sheathing for exterior walls, installing hardwood floors, and attaching siding and roofing.
How do you nail deck boards?
Decking boards are best secured using galvanised or stainless steel twist nails. Keep the nails 12mm from the board edges and secure them flush with the surface. Alternatively use galvanised, stainless steel or treated pine decking screws.
What nails should you use for a deck?
The best nails for decking are stainless steel nails as they offer the greatest resistance to rust with minimum discoloration to woods such as cedar. However, stainless steel nails are considerably more expensive than other nails.
How far apart should screws be on deck boards?
The basic rule of thumb here is 350 screws for every 100 square feet of deck surface for standard 6” wide boards (5.5” actual width) and 16” spaced joists. If you aren’t using these standard sizes, use an online deck calculator to determine how many you’ll need.
Do you use nails or screws to build a deck?
The answer is both. You should use nails to attach the deck’s joists and stair stringers to its framing. You should use screws to attach decking and railings to the framing. In this article, we’ll look at the pros and cons of screws and nails and how each should be used when constructing a deck.
What kind of nail gun to use on wood deck?
Over time, the nails will start to work themselves out of the wood board, which greatly compromises holding strength – and can even make the deck dangerous to walk across if nails begin to protrude. For decking boards, we recommend using a deck screw such as DuraSpin collated screws or Scrails.
What’s the best way to fasten a deck?
Attach a ledger to brick, block, or concrete with lag screws and masonry anchors. Hold a ledger temporarily with masonry screws, which are not quite as strong but are easier to drive and don’t require anchors. You can avoid visible nails and screws completely with invisible deck fastening systems. Invisible fasteners come in many forms.
What kind of nails do I need to hang stringers on my Deck?
You’ll need 1-1/2-inch hanger nails to attach the stringers to your deck using angle brackets. As with your joists, stair stringers are supporting a load, which is why you want to use nails instead of screws to attach them to your deck.